Ice bunker for refrigerator cars



22, 1933- R A. E. MACKEY- 1,923,319

ICE BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR F191 .4 AZGIZENW QFM )W 1933- A. E. MACKEY 1,923,319

ICE BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 16, 1932 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR dwgzfflaag QT/HWIK ii-m Aug. 22, 1933. A. E. MACKEY ICE BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS Filed Sept. 16, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 14y a v A2691: zfz'y BY E g,

ATT RNEY Aug. 22, 1933.

A. E. MACKEY ICE BUNKER FOR REFRIGERATOR CAPS Filed. Sept. 16. 1932 4 SheetsSheet 4 Mt- Y ,V.\/ INVENTQR [A ////r// G} 1 Q Q N a-fl I I N N N ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 22,1933

1,923,319 ion B NKER FOR, REFRIGERATOR cans Albert E. Mackey, Rochester, N. Y.

Application September 16, 1932 Serial No. 633,483

1 Claim.

The object of this invention is to provide a new and improved type of ice bunker in the so-called refrigerator car.

Another object of the invention is to divide the ice bunker in half by providing a temporary bottomhalf way up in the ordinary ice bunker of a These and other objects oftfieinvention will be illustrated in the drawings, described in the speciflcation, and pointed out in-the claims at the end thereof.

In the drawings: r Figure 1 is a vertical section of one end of a refrigerator car, showing the ice bunker and parts associated therewith, the section being taken lon-' gitudinally of the car. a

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the ice bunker substantially on the line 23- -21: of Figure 1, this section being taken transversely of the car. Figure 3 is a vertical section through the car substantially on the line 3a:-3:c of Figure 1, the

section being taken outside of the ice bunker an transversely of the car. .i

Figure 4 is a top plan view of one of the frames of the swinging grate bars.

of Figure 4. r

Figure 6 is a vertical section on-the line 6:c6:c of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a horizontal section on the line 7:c-=

1a: of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the framework and supports for the swinging grate bars.

car with one icing in which the empty bunkers are filled full would be anywhere from 10,000 pounds up. a

If the car has only a short distance to run, or is carrying a kind of perishable freight in which a full charge ofthe bunkerris not needed, or the weather conditions are such that a full charge is not needed, it is a waste of ice to fill the bunkers full. It is not desirable to fill the bunkers as heretofore made only half full, for the ice would then be at the bottom of the bunker when it is desired to have the ice at the top of the bunker instead, which result could only be obtained by filling the bunkerfull and keeping it full by putting in more ice at frequent intervals.

It is well knownthat warm air rises and cold air falls, and if the ice were placed only in the lower half of the bunker the warm air would collect at the top of the car-and stay there without being cooled, and the cold air would remain in the hottom of the car and would not rise and circulate,

but by filling the upper half of the bunker, the ice will be placed in the most effective position and the warm air at the top of'the car will be cooled and will descend, and a circulation will be secured, and iiithis way a fairly uniform cooling effect through the car will be secured, and a considerable saving in the quantity of ice loaded into v way up in the bunker and is pivoted so that it can Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5:c5a:'

In the drawings like reference numerals indi-,

cate like parts.

. Refrigerator cars as they have heretofore been 5 made are provided with ice bunkers which extend clear across each end of the car. These ice bunkers have a fioorarea'of about 3 x 8 feet and are nearly as high as the inside of the car, that is, they are over 6 feet high on the inside and are 0 capable of taking in about 145 cubic feet of ice in each bunker, or 290 cubic feet of ice in the whole car. This ice, as used in the refrigerator cars, is broken up into irregular shapes and weighs from 37 to 43 pounds to the cubic foot, sothat the'amount of ice that is put into a refrigerator be put'in either horizontal or vvertical position, so that it can be used or put out of use temporarily as may be desired. The various features of munvention will now be described'as'follows. """In the drawings reference numeral 1 indicates the end wall of the car, 2 and 3 indicate stringers extending transversely of the car, 4 indicates an upright block for supporting the rear end of the lower ice grate frame, 5 indicates a metal leg for supporting the forward end of the ice grate frame. On top of the upright blocks 4 is placed the Z-bar 6, and on top of the legs 5 is a Z-bar 7. The Z-bars 6 and 7 support the I beams 8, 9 and 10. On the bars 8, 9' and 10 are supported the grate bars 11 which support the ice at the bottom of the bunker. These bars are suitably spaced apart to permit drainage from the melting' ice, and the circulation of air. On all four sides of the bunker an upright partition of heavy wire screen is placed, such as is indicated at 12, i

.3 and 14. This wire screen holds the ice in o place, and outside of the screen is provided an air space for the circulation of air.

Half way up in the bunker I provide horizontal angles 15 and 16 which are bolted to the upright screen posts 1'7, 1'], These angles 15 and 16 are also supported by upright angles 18 and 19, of"

which angles 18 at the back extend down to and rest on the I beams 8 and 10, and angles 19 at the front extend down to and rest on the angle 9a, which in turn rests on the I beams 8, 9 and 10.

I provide four frames of grate bars which run lengthwise of the car, and two of these frames are shown and are numbered 20 and 21. One of these frames of grate bars is shown in plan in Figure 4. It comprises four separate grate bars 24, 24,- 24, 24 which rest on and are fastened in a frame 25, which is made of an angle which is cut out with V-shaped recesses at suitable intervals and is then bent into the square frame indlcated by 25. The ends of the angle are suitably joined together in any suitable way, as for example, being joined together by electric weld- Each of these frames is fastened to the angle 15 by the hinges 26 and 2'7, one leaf of the hinge being fastened to the upright member of the angle 15 and the other leaf of the'hinge being fastened to the frame 25. Each of these frames can be separately swung up from the horizontal position shown in Figure 1 to the vertical position shown in dotted lines in Figure l, and in this ver-- tical position each of of the frames 20 is held by one or more hooks 28 shown in Figure 1. 7 These hooks are pivoted on the upright member 17. When it is not desired to use the frames of the grate bars 20, 20, they are swung to the upright position and are held in the upright position by the hooks 28.

. It will be understood that by dividing the upper stage into four separate small sections that each small section can be separately swung up or down with little effort, which could not be done if all the sections were fastened together.

As shown in Figure 1, reference numeral 30 indicates an insulated bulkhead at each end of the car that limits the space for the freight of the car. Above this bulkhead is a screened opening 31 through which the warm air passes into the ice bunker. At the bottom of the bulkhead is ascreened opening 32 through which the cold air passes from the ice bunker out on to the floor 33 of the car, and the floor racks 34, and the body of the car.

It will also be understood that air passes down directly through the ice in the bunker inside of the wire screen, and through the open spaces that are provided on each side of the bunker outside of the wire screen. In this way the cold air circulates and good refrigeration is secured when desired by a smaller amount of ice than would ordinarily be used if the bunkers were completely filled.

I claim:

In a refrigerator car, the combination of an ice bunker having four walls enclosed with wire netting, uprights outside said netting to which the netting is fastened horizontal angle irons supported on said uprights, a section of grate bars hinged to one of said angles and having its free end resting on a horizontal angle on the other side of said bunker, said section being held thereby in a horizontal position and being adapted to be swung to a vertical position, said section of grate bars comprising an angle iron bent to a rectangular frame and cut awayat the corners to form miters, grate bars supported on two of the parallel sides of said frame, said grate bars being placed perpendicular to said horizontal angle irons supported on said uprights.

ALBERT E. MACKEY. 

